Pashinyan says he opposes profaners, not the church

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan emphasizes he fights to protect the Armenian Apostolic Church’s holiness, not to oppose it.

In a Facebook post, Pashinyan stated he has “stood against those profaning the church’s sacredness” and is defending the Church and its believing flock, of which he is a loyal member.

He outlined canon law, which holds that any bishop, elder, or deacon found guilty of immorality, perjury, or theft must be defrocked. He said Archbishop Arshak Khachatryan has violated these rules, committing immorality and perjury, and thus “must be defrocked.”

Pashinyan added that breaking the vow of monastic priesthood triggers an automatic defrocking. He noted that Khachatryan broke his oath and thus also merits defrocking for perjury.

He asked rhetorically: “Am I against the Church, or against those who profane its sanctity?” He clarified he fights for the Church’s values, not against it.

In a separate post, he asserted that breaking the monastic vow requires defrocking and stated that Nersisian and Samvel Khachatryan — who touched church relics with “unclean hands” — must be removed from the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.

He warned that silence from others about such violations undermines the foundations of the Armenian Apostolic Church. Now that he has evidence, remaining silent would be sacrilege and complicity with those undermining the Church.

He emphasized he will later reference additional canon articles while addressing the issue.